Consultant: Meter replacements, battery failures reduced Lake Jackson's unaccounted water from ~27% to about 22%

Jim Smith, a consultant hired to audit the city’s metering system, told the Lake Jackson City Council on Aug. 4 that analysis of more than three years of billing data shows measurable lost revenue tied to meter performance and aging equipment. The city already has replaced a large number of meters, and Smith said continued targeted replacement and expanded testing of large meters should lower the system’s unaccounted-for water and recover revenue.

Smith said his team downloaded the city’s full customer database and 41 months of usage history for roughly 9,400 active accounts, producing about 393,000 records. “Any water loss that occurs in the area of, let's say, leakage, which I call real losses today, will impact your water conservation, big time,” Smith said, adding that metering losses are distinct because they represent lost revenue rather than treated water that is physically lost.

Why it matters: Lake Jackson charges about $13 per 1,000 gallons for combined water and sewer. Smith told council that because of that rate, inaccuracies in meters or meters oversized for low flows can materially affect revenue. Using annualized figures through May 2025, the city sold an estimated 73% of the water it produced — a roughly 27% system loss. Smith said the city’s more recent quarterly totals (March–May) showed the loss down to about 22%, a change he and staff linked in part to the meter replacement…